Five?  Five slices, I wish I had some bubblegum. It may not be Monday but you know the score and no one likes Mondays anyway, there’s nothing happy about a Monday. Hang on, it is Monday again, we were busy Interacting and something somewhere near like snap, crackle and pop all rounded up in one big box. That and a heart the size of a split pea and some words rehashed from days gone by. The magic of pouring everything into something that no one can see besides you? Or is it just a week later and Monday has come around again.

I thought Interact was brilliant, Sir Ian McKellen didn’t comment on his pasty, Marnie Scarlet got all yellow and Art Map London, a publication that claims to be “everything about the London art scene in one place!” ignored the event before hand, ignored it while it was going and ignored afterwards, as they tend to do with most London Art Events. Up to them what they cover of course but hey, don’t make the claim about “everything” if you’re going to go out of your way to deny the existence of big London artist-led events like the one that just took place last week. “Everything”? Really? Part of the problem rather than part of the solution in terms of the way artists are treated in London…. . Enough of all that, here’s five slices of music for this fine sunny happy Monday…

1; ARROWS OF LOVE  – Not ruining anything for the rest of us and delivering another slice of defiant goodness in the shape of a new track or single or whatever it is people release these days. Their second album “Product” is out on July 21st, here’s the new single or whatever, two little bullets and those Arrows, as we’ve pointed out before, are always appreciated around these parts, sounding as goos as we expected they would once more….

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2: FASSINE –  the London trio are about to release their second album, “Hello everyone. It’s here! Take a look at our brand new single and video animation for Gold! The track is from our upcoming album Gourami and plays with the idea of the post-death condition, it’s tragic beauty, and how this passing can be inviting and perfect.  The wonderful animation is by James Gilleard and Steve Kirby” and the animation is a big part of why this track is featured here today….

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And here, while we’re here, is Fasine’s version of XTC’s That Wave from earlier this year

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3: WREN – Following on from the recent announcement of their new album ‘Auburn Rule’, London-based progressive sludge/noise-rock four-piece Wren, have let loose their latest single ‘Scour The Grassland’. We’re told the rather colossal band are now gearing up to release their new album ‘Auburn Rule’, I believe it says just that on the other side of the track….

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“Following on from the release of their ‘Host’ EP last year, London-based progressive sludge/noise-rock four-piece Wren, are now gearing up to release their new album ‘Auburn Rule’.

Recorded at Holy Mountain Studios by Misha Hering (Memnon Sa) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Beastmilk, Fucked Up and High On Fire), the new album sees the bands most consummated material yet. Calling to mind the likes of Neurosis, Amenra and Old Man Gloom, ‘Auburn Rule’ is a masterfully bleak and aggressive collection of tracks, which traverse an unyielding foray of styles and influences with nods to post-metal, noise-rock, sludge and doom. Full of morose and slow-moving acerbic moods, tempos and soundscapes, the album seamlessly merges visceral instrumentation and vocals with moments of ominous yet ethereal serenity.

Speaking about the new album the band said “The album is based around the same premise as the entire band and our other records so far. Our process is more of a returned contribution to the creative pool that we draw from as a collective. Lyrically, each song is knowingly vague, and throughout ‘Auburn Rule’ there is rarely one idea that can be summarised from each song or passage – what is more common in our work is a collection of our scattered thoughts and incomplete musings.”

Since releasing their debut self-titled EP release back in Feb 2014, Wren have been moving from strength-to-strength, despite a variety of tumultuous lineup changes and painful geographical relocations. Wren have had to make heavy sacrifices to follow through with each record and commit to their sound, and their determination shows”.

4; CONFIDENCE MAN say “Yo London, if you missed out we’ll be coming back in June at the @Moth_Club tickets here“, the date in question being Wednesday June 28th and coming back bit referring to the fact that they’re from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, a place three miles from the sun and alive with swimming knives (as a man called Eddie once said). 

 

3:  STUDDED LEFT‘s studio debut, the “Western Groove” maxi-single/micro-album, is “a six-part crash course in free glam and loving yourself” so claims the hype that came in along with this track, (we’re just pulling thing out of the e.mail in-box here, most fail ot excite in anyway, these five did). Here it is, a taste of things to come from Studded Left, make your own mind up….

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“Studded Left is the new band from Erika Thrasher and Tex Kerschen, both of Indian Jewelry, abetted by long-time band-mates Richard Durham and Mary Sharpe. Studded Left is the Big Dreams Posse, the Paradise is Coming 4 U band. Thoroughly S.T.U.D.D.E.D. and as gleefully out-of-step with the razzle-dazzle and the hey-ho of the busy music world as ever, the band lives and works in the unlit expanses of Houston, exposing the struts, greasing the chi, getting into the groove”

 

And there you have it, we’re off to paint some more, and put on some more packed out buzzing art shows for Art Map London to ignore as they make their claims to have everything covered, wonder why they do that?   More music, more art and coverage of what’s really going on in a moment…